[Baja 001]

FAQs
When will the device be available to purchase?
We anticipate the device will be available to the general public later in 2011 – at the moment that looks like November.

How much will it cost?
We hope to be selling the Model A for $25 and the Model B for $35.

Can I join the mailing list?
You certainly can. Head to the home page, and you’ll see a form at the top right you can fill in.

Why doesn’t the Raspberry Pi include piece of hardware or sort of port?
Our main function is a charitable one – we’re trying to build the cheapest possible computer that provides a certain basic level of functionality, and this means we’ve had to make hard decisions about what hardware and interfaces to include.

How do I connect a mouse and keyboard?
Mice, keyboards, network adapters and external storage will all connect via a USB hub.

What display can I use?
There is composite and HDMI out on the board, so you can hook it up to a digital or analogue television or to a DVI monitor.

What about audio?
There’s a standard 3.5mm jack, or you can use HDMI. You can add any supported USB microphone via a hub.

Does the device support networking? Is there Wi-Fi?
The Model B version of the device includes 10/100 wired Ethernet. There is no Ethernet on the Model A version (which we expect to be taken up mostly by the education market), but Wi-Fi will be available via a standard USB dongle.

What are the power requirements?
The device is powered by an external AC adapter, and the Model A consumes around 1W at full load.

Will there be a buy-one-give-one program?
Yes. We plan to implement a program of this sort, but you can also just buy one if you prefer.

Will the device be available internationally, or just in the UK?
We intend to ship worldwide from launch. We may establish a distribution network in due course.

Will there be a minimum order quantity?
The minimum order quantity will be one unit.

Are you accepting pre-orders?
No. We are adequately funded, and don’t want to take your money until we have finished hardware.

Is there power over USB?
No. Raspberry Pi is a USB host, not a USB device, and you can’t draw power from the uplink port of a hub.

Is there a GPU binary?
Yes. The GPU binary also contains the first stage bootloader.

What SoC are you using?
The SoC is a Broadcom BCM2835.

Can I run power Raspberry Pi from batteries as well as from a wall socket?
Yes. The device should run well off 4xAA cells.

Will it run ?
In general, you need to look to see whether the program you want can be compiled for the ARMv6 architecture. In most cases the answer will be yes. Specific programs are discussed on our forum, so you might want to look there for an answer.

Will it run WINE (or Windows, or other x86 software)?
No.

What Linux distros will be supported at launch?
Debian, Fedora and ArchLinux will be supported from the start. We hope to see support from other distros later. We will be selling SD cards with the distros preloaded. (Sept 4 2011 – originally, this FAQ suggested that Ubuntu would be supported. Because of issues with newer releases of Ubuntu and the ARM processor we are using, Ubuntu can’t commit to support Raspberry Pi at the moment.)

Is there a case?
Not for the initial version, but there will be a (removable, in case you want to do some soldering) case available later.

Is PoE (power over ethernet) possible?
Not in the base device, but it’s been a very commonly requested feature, so we’re examining options for later releases.

What happens if I brick the device?
You can restore the device by reflashing the SD card.